If you run a plant anywhere between Ankleshwar and Dahej, you have probably needed a crane that can lift a drum off a truck, carry it fifty metres down a narrow plant road, and set it down right next to the reactor, all without stopping to level outriggers. That is not really a job for a telescopic crane. That is a pick and carry crane job, and having the right machine on site at the right time is often the difference between finishing before lunch and losing half a shift.
What A Pick And Carry Crane Actually Does
A pick and carry crane does exactly what the name suggests. It lifts a load and then drives forward with that load still in the air. There is no outrigger to extend, no levelling to wait for, and almost no setup time before the first lift. Most people working in GIDC Ankleshwar still call this machine a hydra crane, a name that has stuck around this industrial belt for years regardless of which brand is actually under the hood. What we run at Xcel is a Franna, a crane built specifically for this kind of fast, close quarter lifting work, and not a generic machine carrying a name that does not belong to it.
Why Plants Choose A Pick And Carry Crane Over A Bigger One
Space is usually the first reason. Chemical and process plants are built tight, with pipe racks overhead and tanks standing close together, and a full size telescopic crane often cannot get near the load without blocking a plant road or needing outriggers that spread across the whole lane. A pick and carry crane is narrow enough to move through the same gaps your forklifts already use every day.
Speed is the second reason. Because there is no setup, the crane can finish one lift and be on the next job within minutes. On a shutdown with fifteen or twenty small lifts scattered across the site, that adds up to a lot of time saved by the end of the shift.
Cost is the third reason, and it is usually the one that decides things. For a load that sits comfortably inside the 15 tonne range, a pick and carry crane almost always costs less per hour than bringing in a larger telescopic crane that is really built for heavier loads and longer reach.
Think of a typical day during a shutdown. A contractor needs a two tonne pump shifted from the yard to a unit forty metres away, past a row of parked trucks and under a pipe rack with limited headroom. A telescopic crane would need to set up, extend outriggers that block the lane, and work through the reach calculation before the first lift. A pick and carry crane simply picks the pump up, rolls it through the gap at walking pace, and sets it down on the other side in a fraction of the time.
Our Franna Fleet
We operate three Franna 15 tonne pick and carry cranes out of our Ankleshwar yard. Each one comes with a trained operator, a current fitness certificate, and a load chart the operator will walk you through before the first lift, so there are no surprises about what the machine can and cannot handle at a given reach.
Mobilisation anywhere inside Ankleshwar and the wider GIDC belt is usually same day, and often within the hour if the machine is not already out on another job.
The Jobs We Get Called For
Most of our pick and carry work falls into a short list of jobs that repeat across the plants we serve week after week.
- Shifting drums, IBC totes and chemical containers during a shutdown or turnaround
- Loading and unloading trucks when a forklift cannot reach the load or the shape is too awkward
- Moving pumps, valves, skids and small vessels between departments inside the plant
- Positioning equipment in tight spots that a bigger crane simply cannot get into
- Short notice lifts when something breaks down mid shift and needs to move fast
None of these need a seventy tonne crane standing by. They need a machine that can get in close, lift quickly, and clear out so the rest of the plant can keep working around it.
Pick And Carry Or A Full Size Crane, How To Decide
The rule we tell every customer is simple. If the load sits comfortably under 15 tonnes and the ground between pickup and drop is reasonably flat and close, a pick and carry crane will almost always be the faster and cheaper choice. Once you are lifting a vessel, erecting structural steel, or working at real height, you need the reach and capacity of a telescopic crane instead, and that is where our XCMG 70 tonne crane takes over.
We have written a full guide on choosing the right crane for your plant, and a separate guide specifically on crane hire for structural steel erection, if your job looks closer to either of those.
Safety And Load Charts, The Short Version
Every lift starts with the operator checking the actual load weight against the chart for that specific boom angle and radius. A pick and carry crane loses lifting capacity quickly as the boom extends outward, so a load that sits safely close to the machine can be well past the limit just a short distance further out. Ground conditions matter just as much. Soft, uneven or sloped ground changes the safe working load on the spot, and our operators are trained to stop and reassess rather than push through a lift that does not look right.
A Few Questions We Get Asked Often
Is a hydra crane the same as a Franna pick and carry crane?
In this part of Gujarat, most people use hydra crane as a general name for any pick and carry machine, the same way people say Xerox for any photocopier. What we actually run is a Franna, which is a specific, purpose built pick and carry crane, not a brand called Hydra.
Can a pick and carry crane work while the plant is still running?
Yes, and that is actually where it works best. Because the machine is compact and does not need outriggers, it can move through an active plant area without shutting down the surrounding operations the way a bigger crane sometimes requires.
Does the operator come with the crane?
Yes. Every Franna we send out comes with a trained, certified operator. You are hiring the lift, not just the machine.
How much notice do you need?
For a straightforward shift inside Ankleshwar we can usually mobilise the same day, sometimes within the hour. For work further out on the Bharuch, Dahej or Vadodara corridor, a half day of notice helps us plan the route and confirm the operator.
How Pricing Works
We quote by the hour, the day or the month depending on what the job needs. Tell us the load weight, roughly how far it needs to travel inside the plant, and how long you expect to need the machine, and we will give you a straight number on the same call, not a vague estimate that changes once the crane is already on site.
Renting From Xcel Lift And Hire
We are based in GIDC Ankleshwar and serve the full stretch from Bharuch and Dahej through to Vadodara. If you need a pick and carry crane for a shutdown, a one off shift, or ongoing plant support, call us or send a message with the load details and we will tell you honestly whether a Franna is the right fit or whether your job needs something bigger.
Call +91 94089 18465 or write to info@xcelliftandhire.com. We usually reply the same day.